Revisiting the warehouse research through an evolutionary lens: a review from 1990 to 2019

A warehouse covers a wide spectrum of operations for the distribution of goods in a supply chain network. The advancement of technology and the changing global business environment have compelled the transformation of a warehouse. The present study attempts to revisit the warehouse transformation from 1990 to 2019 through an evolutionary lens. A systematic literature review is conducted to answer a few basic research questions: what were the issues that warehouses faced during the time period, and how did the academic world approach it? And what would be the research agenda for the warehousing in the era of Industry 4.0? The analysis of the literature shows that warehousing research has changed from a traditional storeroom to a more automated and integrated warehousing system characterised by better efficiency and effectiveness. This study contributes to the development of warehousing research by discussing the development trends, addressing the research gaps, and recommending future research directions. The study also reflects the dominance of developed countries in warehousing research and alludes to more opportunities for practitioners and academicians in developing countries. Based on the decade-wise analysis of literature, an evolutionary framework for warehouse research is proposed which is expected to ensure the supply chain resilience proactively.